how to create simple CVI-8.0 distributable exe

[Naresh1]

I am trying to create a simple executable to be used on a Windows laptop that does not have CVI installed.  It takes several minutes to create a distribution and even asks for all the device driver CDs.  Is it this difficult to create an executable everytime I make a small change?  Is there a way I can just copy the exe file across and test it?  

[RobertoBozzolo]

Naresh,

the first time you distribute an application to be installed on a fresh machine you must build a distribution kit with all necessary run time engines and drivers.

From this moment on, you can simply ship the modified files to your customer, provided that you have not added new drivers.

If you don't want to directly distribute the bare executable and supplementary files, you could build a special distribution kit with only the modified files and without engines and drivers (it's possible up to version 7.1: should be also in 8): a building like this should take only a few seconds to terminate.

[jr_2005]

Once you have gone through the pain of a full distribution kit installation once on your target machine, in the future you can indeed just simply copy the new .exe across from the development PC to the target one, when you make small changes.

JR

[Naresh1]

Thanks.   

- Naresh

[Mert_A.]

Naresh,

As Roberto and JR pointed out, the 8.0 distribution kit builder is a means to get your application installed with all needed drivers/components, but if your target system is already known to have these drivers, they need not be packaged in every time you build a test installer.  The exception to this is any component that gets merged into your installer from a merge module.  Such components will be uninstalled when you upgrade your installation, so your installer will have to contain them for them to be reinstalled.  This includes NI Reports support, 3D Graph control support, and more importantly, any CVI run-time component (any subitem of LabWindows/CVI Run-Time Engine in the Drivers and Components list) if 1) you are not including all the CVI run-time components, or 2) you check the option (on the Advanced tab) to install the run-time engine to the application directory.

You also mentioned being repeatedly asked for original source CDs.  You should note that the dialog prompting you for the CDs presents an option to locally cache the products copied from the CDs.  If you build your distributions often, checking this option can save you the bother of having to keep reloading source CDs by pulling the products from a cache on your hard drive instead.

I hope this helps.

Mert A.
National Instruments

[Naresh1]

Thanks for the replies.  I tried to build a distribution and put the device driver CD.  But halfway through, the program asked for Labview CD.  I do have labview on my PC, but it did not make sense for it to ask for it.  I have the following options checked on my "Drivers and Components":

1.  LabWindows/CVI Run Time engine

  - Standard runtime

 - Instrument driver runtime

2.  NIDAQmx 8.1 - Runtime

    I use DAQpad 6016 and the serial ports. 

- Naresh

[Mert_A.]

Naresh,

In actuality, selecting one product  (especially large products like NI-DAQmx) can include many other products by dependency (for example NI Measurement & Automation Explorer).  These may include products that do not even appear in the list.  If your LabVIEW installation upgraded any component that is needed for your distribution, then the Driver CD will not be sufficient, and the LabVIEW CD will also be needed to get all the right versions of the right parts.

If are interested in the specific details of what is being pulled off the LabVIEW CD, you can build a distribution with debug logging turned on (see this post for instructions), post the log here for me to look at, and I can tell you exactly what is happening.

Note that per my last post, since you are including only the standard and instrument driver runtime components, make sure you leave those components selected when rebuilding installers for testing.

Hope this helps.

Mert A.
National Instruments